volkswagen

“Goldie” is a 1985 Single Cab T2 made in Argentina.  While T2’s were made in mad volumes in neighboring Brazil,  due to very strict Argentine auto importing laws those buses were never imported into Argentina. So belatedly VW decided to start making the bus in their Buenos Aires factory in late 1982.  Production ceased in 1990. Pickups however ceased production in 1986 with fewer than 500 made in the entire 4 year run.  While the pick up was phased out in 1986, the people mover vans soldiered on until 1990.  In the eight year production run less than 12,000 vans were made. Few remain after 30 years now.

When VW ceased making the T2 van in 1979 and started making the T3 model, the stamping molds/dies for the older T2 models were shipped from Germany to Argentina to set up the new line. All molds/dies were sent over…….but apparently VW couldn’t find the side and rear bed gate dies. So instead they just stamped out a container full of the newer T3 Doka bed gates for the Argentina market and sent these over with the body dies.

The pickup truck market was already mature in Argentina, with full size Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Studabaker pickups made in Argentina, along with a host of smaller trucks from Fiat and Peugot (all made in Argentina, no imports). And with air cooled technology being phased out in favor of the water cooled T3's, the VW pickup was just way too late to the market. 

In my 13 years in Argentina, I have seen only about 3 other pickups across the country, and only one other that had the original bed doors like Goldie. Goldie is a unicorn in Argentina and she has been truly admired there and a head turner.

She was a pampered yet working farm vehicle shuttling workers and supplies between our two farms in Mendoza, Argentina from 2010 to 2019.  Rust free body and frame.  Tires almost new.  Engine size is unknown,but believed to be a 1600SP.